More than just a journey for reporter Simon

Kevin McRoberts

At the age of 19, Simon Parker spent a year hitchhiking around Australia and New Zealand, visiting the spectacular geographies of the Great Barrier Reef and the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Completely and utterly enthralled by the experience, he vowed to make travel his life. And that is exactly what he has done.

Since those early adventures, Simon has gone on to visit more than half the countries on the planet, working for the BBC, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent. And this year will see the release of his first five-part TV series, Earth Cycle.

But before all that, Simon will be speaking to the RSGS in Glasgow on Thursday, October 4. In his talk, he will discuss driving the length of India, reporting from the centre of the tempestuous Pacific Ocean and the remarkable news stories that unfolded as he cycled and sailed 15,000 miles from China to London.

Speaking about his upcoming talk, Simon said: “I’ve now been to over 100 countries and travelled to some of the most extreme corners of the planet; however, very embarrassingly, this will be my first trip to Scotland. This journey north of the border comes at a time when I’m growing increasingly interested in exploring the UK and I plan to spend an extra day or two in the Scottish wilderness following my talks.”

Simon will be speaking at Strathclyde Business School, Cathedral Street, Glasgow, on Thursday, October 4, at 2.15pm. Tickets will be available on the door or online via Eventbrite until noon the day before. See rsgs.org/events for links and further details.